Delphos
Mariano Fortuny’s pleated silk gown, inspired by an ancient bronze statue and worn without a corset.
Delphos is named after the Charioteer of Delphi, a Greek bronze statue excavated in 1896. Fortuny patented his pleating technique and made the gown in many colours over several decades.
It was worn without a corset and was first meant for wearing at home, but became popular with actresses and artists. Exactly how the pleating was done is still not fully known.
Materials: Pleated silk; Murano glass beads
Manufacture: The pleating was made by a method Fortuny patented; the gowns were sewn in his workshop in Venice.
Very fine, irregular pleats running the whole length.
Small glass beads along the seams as weights.
The gowns were stored rolled and twisted in a box, and the pleats remained.